Review: the 2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid

Given my loyalty to old-fashioned muscle cars, you might think that “Hybrid” is a dirty word in these parts. But you’d be wrong. Tell you what, I love the idea of an extra electric motor that helps the gas engine do its job. If you design it right, that electric motor will really kick in at low speeds to give you more torque, and it’ll help you when you’re merging and passing, too. Kind of like a modern turbocharged engine without the lag.

Trouble is, most hybrids are all about fuel economy, which means they pretty much hate fun. But I’ve finally found one that’s a little different, and I’m smitten. Let me tell you a few things about my new crush — it’s called the 2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid.

1. It’s Fast

And I mean fast. With its 3.5-liter V6 hybrid system, this thing cranks out 360 horsepower! That’s even more than the regular non-hybrid Q50, which stops at 328. It’s not just about the power, either, because this hybrid makes boatloads of low-end torque. It’s like an old big-block V8 the way it rears back and puts down the hammer from a stop. Like I said, when you add an electric motor to the mix, it can give you a real wallop during acceleration. Infiniti gets that. For the record, the Q50 Hybrid will do 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, or almost half a second quicker than the non-hybrid car.

2. It Drives Like a Champ

One thing about hybrids is that they’ve got big old battery packs to run those electric motors, and you’ve got to put that heavy thing somewhere. If you’re not careful, the extra weight can mess up the balance of the car. But Infiniti has positioned the Q50 Hybrid’s battery pack such that it adds a little rearward weight bias without going crazy. The result, if you ask me, is even better balance than the regular Q50. Going around corners in the Q50 Hybrid, I felt like I was driving an honest-to-goodness sport sedan. It just hunkers down and goes, with no understeer and not much body roll, either. Who ever heard of a hybrid that’s this fun to drive?

3. Its Fuel Economy is Amazing

Quick, name a midsize, five-passenger sedan that hits 60 mph in under 5 seconds and gets 31 mpg combined. Let me emphasize the “combined” part, because that’s what the EPA says you can expect for each tank as a weighted average of city (29 mpg) and highway (36 mpg) driving. Most cars with this much speed don’t even break 30 mpg on the highway cycle, and they’re way down in the 20s or even teens for city driving. That’s the other thing about a hybrid car’s electric motor — it takes a load off the gas engine in normal driving, and that means you need less gas to get around.

Sign This Gearhead Up

My test car came in at a shade over $46,000. That’s actually pretty reasonable when you consider that the Q50 Hybrid is a full-on luxury car with leather, navigation, Bose audio, dual electronics displays, you name it. You could easily pay more than twice as much for a Porsche Panamera hybrid that goes 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and only gets 25 mpg combined. I never thought I’d be saying this about a hybrid, but I would really and truly like to own this 2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid sedan.

Am I crazy? Have you ever driven a hybrid that made you fall in love? Tell us your story in the comments.

Editor’s note: Whether you drive a hot new hybrid or a weathered old gas-guzzler, count on Advance Auto Parts for the best in parts—and even better values.

Comments

Owned this car for six months. It is amazing to drive but it only get 26 mpg and thats in the summer. In frigid Boston winters its more like 21 mpg average. Infiniti claims its the winter gas mix. If you take it out of Eco mode you lose another 2 to 3 miles per hallon. Bought the car because I wanted to save gas on long daily commutes. Thats the part that really hasnt materialized. Best I can tell the extra $10k for the hybrid saves about 5 miles to the gallon. For me that equates to saving, in gas ,about half the extra expense…far less than advertised. Having said that, Im still thrilled with the car. Its a big step forward in auto technology and drives like a real car. The onboard in cabin technological advances are also amazing.

Same experience here…..I’ve actually been getting a lot worse than that. Around 21 Mpg (and it’s warm right now). I still like the car….just not sure why I am getting such terrible mileage—and I don’t think I’m an aggressive driver.

Bought the auto considering that I wanted to conserve gas on lengthy day-to-day commutes. Having stated that, Im still delighted with the auto. Its a huge step forward in automobile technology and drives like a real automobile.